I'll Be Seeing You

by A. P. Hallmark

  With my head still bent, sorting through my mail, I lift my eyes to her. "What?"

  "You have a date?" she asks, stunned.

  "Yes, and her name is Joy Johnson, so let Bertha know, all right?"

  "Is that her name? Ms. Honeysuckle?" she jokes, eliciting a chuckle from me.

  "Yes, clever girl. Now leave me to go through this pile of mail, please." I smirk, kicking her out of my office. As she leaves, Jessie chooses that same moment to pay me a visit.

  "Hey, Matthew. How about lunch today?" he asks, dropping his large body onto my expensive leather couch.

  "Sure," I answer, staring at him as he lays out. His expensive Italian-made shoes rest on the cushions and I feel myself cringe. My eyes quickly avert to an envelope on my desk. I open it, nearly tearing it half in the process.

  "Julia's?"

  "Um hm," I mumble as I read this letter from New York.

  "One o’clock?"

  "Um hm."

  "Okay, I'll swing by and pick you up," he says on his way out the door.

  “M’kay." I mumble reading the letter that gives the news I've been waiting to hear.

  Dr. Davis:

  Our office is in receipt of your correspondence and report. After an extensive review of your findings, we would like to invite you to our facility to discuss this matter further and give a full presentation to the board.

  We are eager to learn more about your study, and anticipate favorable responses to your theories.

  Please contact our office at the number indicated below to schedule your arrival. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss this matter in greater detail.

  Regards,

  Dr. Robert Fisher

  Director of Research

  Center for Global Research and Education

  They want to meet with me?

  I nearly jump out of my seat when Krista reminds me of my eleven-thirty meeting. I gather up my files and quickly run to the conference room to meet with the department heads for our monthly meeting.

  My mind is still on the letter from Dr. Fisher and I’m finding it hard to concentrate on the long drawn-out meeting of updates and problem solving, so I am glad when it’s over. Back at my office, Jessie is waiting for me, rubbing his stomach, grumbling that I'm late and he's starving.

  "Okay, let's go, I'm hungry too. I didn't take the time to eat breakfast," I say, removing my lab coat. "Where are we going?" I ask.

  "Julia's, remember?" he replies.

  "No. Did you tell me?" I look at him, wondering why we are going there if he just screwed the waitress in the parking lot.

  "Yep, but you were engrossed in reading your mail," Jessie says as we walk through the lobby toward the street.

  "Oh yeah, that was an invitation to visit the Center for Global Research and Education in New York." I say matter-of-factly playing it down. "They want me to present my research."

  "Wow, Matthew. That's great, man! When are you going?"

  I mentally scan my schedule for the next couple of weeks as we dart across the street. There are no surgeries coming up and there’s nothing that the other physicians on staff couldn’t cover.

  "I'm going to call and set it up when we get back from lunch. You coming?" I ask, inviting him to hang out in New York for a couple of days.

  "Hell yeah. The clubs there are awesome."

  "Jessie, when are you going to grow the fuck up?" I laugh at him as I open the door to Julia's, allowing him to walk through first.

  He turns around to walk backward into the restaurant. "Nev-ver," he says, giving a pretty good rendition of a Valley Girl. I laugh when he almost trips and falls.

  Of course, Kathy's section would be the only one with an available table in the entire restaurant. As soon as we are seated, she eagerly scurries to our table. It feels a little strange knowing we’ve both had sex with her.

  "Good afternoon, Matthew.” She smiles and then nods in Jessie’s direction,

  “Jessie," she coos, looking at him with a blush.

  "Hello there, Kathy. Thanks for the advice on the ceiling fan by the way. It's not so hot in my bed anymore," he blatantly flirts and teases her. She blushes again.

  "That's good, Jessie. See anything you want to eat?" she asks him, the innuendo spoken loud and clear.

  Jesus.

  "Oh, hell yeah," he answers, staring at her breasts and actually licking his lips. Disgusting.

  "Do I need to be here for this?" I ask angrily, looking back and forth between them.

  "Um, sorry, Matthew," she says, ready to take our orders.

  When she returns with our drinks, Jessie's flirtations pick up where he left off.

  "Jessie, seriously, do I need to sit here during my entire lunch and listen to this shit?" I ask, butchering a piece of bread in an attempt to smear cold butter on it. I’ll never understand why they always give us cold butter to spread on cold bread.

  "Naw, it's all in good fun. Laura's the only one that gets my dick now," he says, shocking the hell out of me.

  "Really?" I nearly squeak like a girl. “You sure couldn’t tell with all that crap you and Kathy were just puking up.”

  "No, seriously. She's got the goods going on, man. She's smart, funny, can talk like a truck driver to make a point, but can make me feel more like a man than anyone ever has," he confesses.

  Once Kathy brings our lunch, Jessie's devotion to Laura is short-lived as he watches Kathy's ass depart when she moves to another table. He’s about to say something when his mouth drops open.

  "Hey, Matthew. I thought Joy was your girl," he says, looking behind me. I turn around to look over my shoulder, and there she is with Scott Woods.

  'Don't go there, Matthew', I say to myself. They’re just friends. When I look again, Scott gives me a snarky look that says 'yeah, she's here with me fucker'. I glare at him for a minute then give him a smirk, turning around to murder my salad by stabbing.

  "What's going on?" Jessie asks, concern written all over his face.

  "That's Scott Woods. They work together, and he wants her, I’m sure of it." I answer, stabbing my fork into my salad again.

  Those panties are mine, fucker.

  "You going to go over there?"

  "No. She can see who she wants. We aren’t exclusive. Besides, she says they are only co-workers and friends," I say, more for myself than anyone else. “Plus, I feel that I don't have the right to claim her … yet. I've only had one date with her." I pretend it doesn’t affect me seeing her with him. "Let's change the subject."

  Jessie shrugs as he watches me take out my frustration on my salad.

  "Are you bringing Laura to the Ball?" I ask trying to ignore the razor-sharp stare I'm feeling in the back of my neck.

  "I haven't invited her yet. How about you? Did you invite Joy?"

  "Yes. Yesterday."

  "Hey, they're getting up and heading this way," Jessie says, warning me before they walk past our table.

  They don't stop. Looking up at them, she’s holding on to his arm like she does mine. When I look at him, he looks down his nose at me, but when I glance at the back of Joy's hair, she stops in her tracks. Willing her to turn around, she does … very slowly … and then drops his arm before walking back toward me. When she reaches my side, she extends her hand out. I take it and she gives me a bright smile. The connection with her at that moment is overwhelming and is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

  "I knew it was you," she whispers, running her hand up my arm to my shoulder, ending on my face. She palms my jaw in both her hands and lowers her mouth to mine.

  "Hi, beautiful," I say, just loud enough for Scott to hear.

  "Hi, handsome," she returns. "I'd know your scent anywhere."

  After she gives me a sweet kiss, she takes my hand again. "Can you come to my place for dinner tomorrow?"

  I smirk at Scott, knowing he’s pissed. "It'll be just you and me, right?"

  "Just you and me. Oh, and Conrad of course. He's a package deal. If you want me, yo
u get Conrad," she giggles, sending a smile to my lips.

  "I'll take you both," I say, openly flirting with her, still looking at Scott's forlorn face. "I'll call you tonight." I tug on her hand, bringing her in for another kiss, all the while keeping my eyes on Scott.

  "Okay, looking forward to it," she says, loudly, then turning to Scott.

  "Hi, Jessie," she says, touching his shoulder as she takes Scott's arm.

  Scott offers me a smirk, then he mouths to me "game on". I grin and nod at the challenge.

  "Fucker," Jessie growls, as we watch them walking out the door.

  "Yeah, but it's me she wants," I say, grinning into my salad.

  "Do you want me to see if Laura wants us to join you guys?"

  "No, and I better not see your face at Joy's door, either. It's just us." I demand while pointing at him with my fork, ready to poke his eye out if I have to.

  After returning to the office, I immediately sit down to call the Center in New York to schedule my trip.

  By the time I get off the phone, I have my airline reservations made, hotel, and meeting itinerary. I email everything to Jessie, so he can make his own reservations. Although I’ve gone over my study with a very fine-toothed comb, I still want to review it again. It has to be perfect. After my afternoon rounds, I look at my schedule, so I can plan to leave early and work on my research from home.

  Before I leave, I pick up my cell to call my dad to see if they can meet me for the few days while I’m in New York.

  "Hi, Dad," I say when he answers.

  "Hello, Son. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

  "I'm going to be in New York in a couple of weeks, and I was wondering if there is a chance that you and mom might be able to meet me there for dinner," I explain.

  "Why are you going to New York?"

  "I got a call from the Center for Global Research and Education regarding my procedure. They want me to present it to the Board."

  "Matthew, that's huge, son. I'm so proud of you. Of course we’ll meet you, even if it's just for dinner and a show. When are you going?" he asks with excitement clear in his voice.

  "In three weeks. I’ll have Krista email you the information," I say. "How's Mom doing? You two slowing down at all?"

  "Oh, hell no. Your mother would take every single child as a patient if there were enough hours in the day. You know how she has a soft spot for her babies," he chuckles, speaking affectionately of my mother.

  "You two are coming for the Ball again this year, right? It's on the fifteenth. I really would like you to come this year in particular." I pause and say, "There's someone I want you to meet."

  "Are you serious? You've met someone?" He sounds nearly as excited as I know my mother will be. "LILLIAN," he yells into the phone. "Matthew … he's met someone."

  I laugh when I hear my mother's heals click on the tiles as she runs to the phone.

  "Matthew?" Mom says, stealing the phone from Dad.

  "Hi, Mom. Don't get excited, but yes. It's new, so don't be picking out china patterns or anything," I laugh.

  "But you are bringing her to the Ball?"

  "Yep. I asked her yesterday morning and she said yes."

  "Yesterday morning?" she giggles at my dad, whispering that I spent the night with her.

  "No, Mom. Now stop this," I laugh in between her conversation with dad and me. "We met for coffee. We have daily coffee dates."

  "Oh. Well, we are excited to meet her. Here's your father. Love you."

  "Love you too, Mom," I say back.

  "I guess I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry, Matthew. I just know how she wants grandchildren," he laughs.

  "DAD! Okay, that's it. I'm not telling you anything else about her," I say, laughing, and I’m shocked at his mention of grandchildren. "Besides, you have Maddie for the baby department."

  "WHAT? Maddie’s pregnant?" I hear him yell. Then I hear my mother’s heels on the tiles again and a struggle as she tries to grab his phone.

  “Give me that phone, Leland!”

  "Lillian, now stop that." I hear him yell at her affectionately.

  'Maddie, are you pregnant?' I hear my mother shouting in the background on her own cell phone.

  My phone indicates an incoming call … it's Maddie. I ignore it.

  "Dad, I'm going to go. I'll see you in a few weeks. Tell mom that Jessie’s coming too. I know he misses her. I'll let you know when I'll be there. Love you."

  "Love you too, son," he says before he hangs up. My phone is still ringing, and it's still Maddie.

  Since I won’t answer her call, she decides to text. I can't help the moan that escapes me.

  What the hell Matthew ~ Maddie

  Well, you should have taken the pill, Maddie ~ Matthew

  I am going to call Joy to tell her about the time you got caught in the locker room ~ Maddie

  DON'T YOU DARE~ Matthew

  I am and I'm calling her right now. ~ Maddie

  Shit. I dial her number.

  "Yes, Matthew?" My sister responds in her fake sweetie voice she gives only to me.

  "Don't you call her, Maddie. I mean it. We aren't exactly 'solid', if you know what I mean," I say, recalling my pissing match with Brian. "And now she has this guy at work after her, too."

  "Oh, really? She likes you, Brother, so you don't have anything to worry about."

  "I know, but until she knows how I feel about her, I don't need any outside interference," I counter.

  "She already knows," Maddie announces. "She heard you say 'she's mine'."

  "And how do you know that, Nosetta?" I laugh, totally embarrassed that Joy would have heard me say that.

  "Well, we have a grapevine now, you know. You see, Joy told Laura, she told Brian, who then told me, and now I'm telling you," she giggles. "Nothing is sacred anymore." I think I’m totally humiliated that she overheard that discussion.

  "Perfect," I exhale into the phone.

  "So, what did you say to Mom to make her call me asking me if I was pregnant?" Maddie's voice raises an octave with each word she speaks.

  "It's a long story."

  "I have time." I can practically hear her tapping her foot on the ground, waiting for my explanation.

  "I told them I was bringing Joy to the Ball, and they asked me about grandchildren, and I told them that's your department. And that's how you got pregnant."

  "You're bringing Joy to the Ball?" she squeals. I can hear her incessant hand clapping over the phone.

  "Yes. Now, I need to get back to work, so be a good girl, Maddie. Love you." Before she can say anything else, and start another conversation, I hang up the phone.

  I return my emails and phone calls before heading home. Opening the door, my house has never seemed so quiet and lonely. I've always liked this house, but lately I've noticed how empty it is.

  Sighing, I put the dinner Rebecca left for me into the oven and run upstairs to change before heading down to the gym to run my usual eight miles. I crank up the speed, hoping to help my brain shut up about Joy. She’s the only thing on my mind these days. It used to be my research, but since I’ve kissed her, I crave more.

  After my workout, I take a quick shower, slip into a pair of sweat pants and take my dinner into my office. I eat at my desk while going over the research. Although I have saved everything to a thumb drive already, I save it again to take to New York with me. I know they want a full presentation, so I begin to review my PowerPoint slides. Sending the file to my IT department, I ask them to set it up on my computer to present to the Board.

  Joy creeps into my brain again and I look at my watch, remembering I need to call her.

  "Hello," her sultry voice answers.

  "Hello, Joy."

  "Hi, Matthew. How are you? How was your day?" she breathes into the phone.

  "Productive. A lot happened today. How about you?"

  "Same. I got another book to translate. It's a rather steamy romance story. They’re trying something new at Radiant, and they want a ma
le and female counterpart audio translation," she explains.

  I can only guess who the male is going to be in this scenario. He had mouthed 'Game on'' to me before leaving the restaurant, so he knew about this project when he said that.

  "Well, that sounds intriguing. What's the story about?" I ask wanting to know what kind of steamy shit, he is going to be saying to my girl.

  "It's about an industrialist who has an alternate personality, and he enslaves women, using them as sex slaves until he’s finished with them. That's the gist of it. It's on the bestseller list right now. A sequel is being written as we speak, so we need to get the first one done as soon as possible,” she explains. I can hear the trepidation in her voice as if she’s uncertain she wants to tell me about it.

  While she’s telling me about her project, I check the book out on Google. When the web page comes up, all I see are naked women and a man in a suit standing over them.

  "Let me guess, Scott is the male voice in the story?" It's so quiet I can hear the grass grow.

  "And let me take another guess, you have to do it at your apartment because all of your equipment is there?"

  "Matthew," she finally speaks, "You’re still coming tomorrow, right?"

  You bet your sweet ass I'm coming and if I have my way, you will be, too.

  "I don't know … what are you cooking?" I tease.

  "Nothing fancy, just my mother's homemade chili recipe."

  I love chili.

  "I'll come if you make cornbread with it, the kind that has honey in it. I like my cornbread sweet," I tease again.

  "I can't believe I have to bribe you with food to get you to come to my place.”

  "Not really, I just want some sweet cornbread and thought that was a good way to get it. I'd still come even if you were serving water with salt and pepper," I say, laughing. "That sounds gross, doesn't it?"

  "Yeah, it does," she giggles. "Is six o’clock, okay? Not that there’s a set dinnertime or anything, just thought we could hang out and eat when we feel like it."

  "Six it is," I agree.

  "Um, Joy, Scott won't have a key to your apartment, will he?" I ask, sounding ridiculous even to me. I smack my palm to my forehead at this juvenile sounding question.